I have a heavy smoker too. She's going to have to cut back.
It's interesting – fiction can't cope with being too realistic. If somebody you knew had a cigarette every time you saw them, that would just blend into the totality of information you had about them – but if a character is having a cigarette every time you meet them, it's jarring and irritating. Actually maybe that's a bad example, because many people do find smoking jarring and irritating... But you know, we might smile a million times in a normal conversation but if you note every smile on the page it gets very boring fast.
I am currently reading: The Road Home by Rose Tremain and her character smokes a lot too. But his cravings feel real. It is part of his personality and it works. I guess it’s finding the right balance.
When My brother-in-law read my first book, his first comment about the main character was, ‘He drinks a lot of tea, doesn’t he?’ I had to admit he did.
Now, on rewriting that book, I also see that many things begin when he is in bed! Either in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning. I know he is a ‘homebody’ but even so there is far too much bed and tea. All of that will have to change.
It is useful though, to see these habits and to receive the feedback as it allows me to keep that in mind for later books where hopefully his tea addiction and need for comfort will be less apparent.
I really giggled listening to this. As in, my mouth was turned up at the edges, teeth fully exposed accompanied by loud gaffawing. Brilliant bit of writing all on its own!
I don't write but I imagine I'd be a divil for the repetitive habits/words/phrases. Every character would be an extension of me and my habits. Exclamation marks everywhere! With that in mind, I'm always impressed by diverse characterisation in a single creative piece. As in, a writer's ability to create multiple characters and describe them in terms so foreign to his or her own natural reflexes or experience is genius. It means being fully reflective of oneself and aware enough to reject and redirect thought patterns and habits. To be able to divorce oneself from instinctive 'leanings', in order to create completely independent characters, is mastery.
Yes I totally agree. I think we all tend to start by writing characters that are ourselves or versions of ourselves – Will Storr is very interesting about this in The Science of Storytelling. Good writers move beyond this and put themselves into other minds. I don't know if I've cracked that yet.
My characters are always drinking tea, too! Quite reflective of real life, but not strictly necessary on the page. I know I removed loads of tea drinking but I can still think of four or five scenes that survived the cull...
Ah this is so true Hattie, and so good (love the comparison to editing audio... this will help me think about my characters’ tics more too.
My first novel had the constant repetition of my protagonist being “drawn to” people. It was lazy and infuriating. I soon realised there were many better ways to show their like or dislike of another character, learning more of “show don’t tell” writing. But on my third edit of novel #2 I’m seeing lots of funny smiles cropping in. Think a “smile edit” is due!
Good question. I'd like to get my MA finished and my dissertation handed in, which will be in September – and then I'll start thinking about the next season. So I hope it will be released at some point in the winter and I hope everyone will forgive me for taking so long.
I consciously try to avoid repeating words, but in every page I write I find a word repeated in the very next paragraph. Drives me nuts.
I’ve just finished a genre novel, from a very popular series. There’s a supporting character in the book who has a sequence of dialogue where she uses a number of the same phrases the protagonist often uses. It really jarred.
There really isn’t any work of art that’s original, I agree. The person creating it is original, but they observe the world, process it, and create something from that. Art doesn’t appear in a vacuum! I’m going to stop now before I start ranting...
I’m glad it’s not just me.
The main character in my first book can’t go more than two pages without a cigarette.
I have a heavy smoker too. She's going to have to cut back.
It's interesting – fiction can't cope with being too realistic. If somebody you knew had a cigarette every time you saw them, that would just blend into the totality of information you had about them – but if a character is having a cigarette every time you meet them, it's jarring and irritating. Actually maybe that's a bad example, because many people do find smoking jarring and irritating... But you know, we might smile a million times in a normal conversation but if you note every smile on the page it gets very boring fast.
I am currently reading: The Road Home by Rose Tremain and her character smokes a lot too. But his cravings feel real. It is part of his personality and it works. I guess it’s finding the right balance.
When My brother-in-law read my first book, his first comment about the main character was, ‘He drinks a lot of tea, doesn’t he?’ I had to admit he did.
Now, on rewriting that book, I also see that many things begin when he is in bed! Either in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning. I know he is a ‘homebody’ but even so there is far too much bed and tea. All of that will have to change.
It is useful though, to see these habits and to receive the feedback as it allows me to keep that in mind for later books where hopefully his tea addiction and need for comfort will be less apparent.
I really giggled listening to this. As in, my mouth was turned up at the edges, teeth fully exposed accompanied by loud gaffawing. Brilliant bit of writing all on its own!
I don't write but I imagine I'd be a divil for the repetitive habits/words/phrases. Every character would be an extension of me and my habits. Exclamation marks everywhere! With that in mind, I'm always impressed by diverse characterisation in a single creative piece. As in, a writer's ability to create multiple characters and describe them in terms so foreign to his or her own natural reflexes or experience is genius. It means being fully reflective of oneself and aware enough to reject and redirect thought patterns and habits. To be able to divorce oneself from instinctive 'leanings', in order to create completely independent characters, is mastery.
Yes I totally agree. I think we all tend to start by writing characters that are ourselves or versions of ourselves – Will Storr is very interesting about this in The Science of Storytelling. Good writers move beyond this and put themselves into other minds. I don't know if I've cracked that yet.
My characters are always drinking tea, too! Quite reflective of real life, but not strictly necessary on the page. I know I removed loads of tea drinking but I can still think of four or five scenes that survived the cull...
And for the writing prompt list: Life in the desert was hard...
Thank you! Will put on the list!
Ah this is so true Hattie, and so good (love the comparison to editing audio... this will help me think about my characters’ tics more too.
My first novel had the constant repetition of my protagonist being “drawn to” people. It was lazy and infuriating. I soon realised there were many better ways to show their like or dislike of another character, learning more of “show don’t tell” writing. But on my third edit of novel #2 I’m seeing lots of funny smiles cropping in. Think a “smile edit” is due!
When is the next season of the podcast back?
It's so difficult!
Good question. I'd like to get my MA finished and my dissertation handed in, which will be in September – and then I'll start thinking about the next season. So I hope it will be released at some point in the winter and I hope everyone will forgive me for taking so long.
Of course! Can't wait for the new season (obvs! :))
And... to add to this post again, just did another re-read and found a ton of 'beams,' plus 'shifting in her chair' and other pesky repetitions! Argh!
I consciously try to avoid repeating words, but in every page I write I find a word repeated in the very next paragraph. Drives me nuts.
I’ve just finished a genre novel, from a very popular series. There’s a supporting character in the book who has a sequence of dialogue where she uses a number of the same phrases the protagonist often uses. It really jarred.
Prompt suggestions:
I would have kept listening
Finally, the leak had stopped
Interesting point... characters shouldn't all sound the same (but I think it's probably easily done!).
Thank you for the prompts!
There really isn’t any work of art that’s original, I agree. The person creating it is original, but they observe the world, process it, and create something from that. Art doesn’t appear in a vacuum! I’m going to stop now before I start ranting...